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THE FOOD GROUPS

Bread Group

Why are breads, cereals, rice, and pasta important?

These foods provide complex carbohydrates (starches), which are an important source of energy, especially in low fat diets.
They also provide vitamins, minerals, and fiber. The Food Guide Pyramid suggests 6 to 11 servings of these foods a day.

What counts as a serving?

1 slice of bread
1 ounce of ready-to-eat cereal
1/2 cup cooked cereal, rice, or pasta

Aren't starchy foods fattening?

No. It's what you add to these foods or cook with them that adds most of the calories. For example: margarine or butter on bread, cream or cheese sauces on pasta, and the sugar and fat used with the flour in making cookies.

Here are some selection tips:
  • To get the fiber you need, choose several servings a day of foods made from whole grains, such as whole-wheat bread and whole-grain cereals.
  • Choose most often foods that are made with little fat or sugars. These include bread, english muffins, rice, and pasta.
  • Baked goods made from flour, such as cakes, cookies, croissants, and pastries, count as part of this food group, by they are high in fat and sugars.
  • Go easy on the fat and sugars you add as spreads, seasonings, or toppings.
  • When preparing pasta, stuffing, and sauce from packaged mixes, use only half the butter or margarine suggested; if milk or cream is called for, use low fat milk.

Vegetable Group

Why are vegetables important?

Vegetables provide vitamins, such as vitamins A and C, and folate, and minerals, such as iron and magnesium. They are naturally low in fat and also provide fiber. The Food Guide Pyramid suggests 3 to 5 servings of these foods a day.

What counts as a serving?

1 cup of raw leafy vegetables
1/2 cup of other vegetables, cooked or chopped raw
3/4 cup of vegetable juice

Here are some selection tips:
  • Different types of vegetables provide different nutrients. For variety eat:
  • dark-green leafy vegetables (spinach, romaine lettuce, broccoli);
  • deep-yellow vegetables (carrots, sweet potatoes);
  • starchy vegetables (potatoes, corn, peas);
  • legumes (navy, pinto, and kidney beans, chickpeas);
  • other vegetables (lettuce, tomatoes, onions, green beans)
  • Include dark-green leafy vegetables and legumes several times a week - they are especially good sources of vitamins and minerals. Legumes also provide protein and can be used in place of meat.
  • Go easy of the fat you add to vegetables at the table or during cooking. Added spreads or toppings, such as butter, mayonnaise, and salad dressing, count as fat.
  • Use low fat salad dressing.

Fruit Group

Why are fruits important?

Fruit and fruit juices provide important amounts of vitamins A and C and potassium. They are low in fat and sodium. The Food Guide Pyramid suggests 2 to 4 servings of fruits a day.

What counts as a serving?

a medium apple, banana, or orange
1/2 cup of chopped, cooked or canned fruit
3/4 cup of fruit juice

Here are some selection tips:
  • Choose fresh fruits, fruit juices, and frozen, canned, or dried fruit. Pass up fruit canned or frozen in heavy syrups and sweetened fruit juices unless you have calories to spare.
  • Eat whole fruits often - they are higher in fiber than fruit juices.
  • Have citrus fruits, melon, and berries regularly. They are rich in vitamin C.
  • Count only 100 percent fruit juice as fruit. Punches, ades, and most fruit "drinks" contain only a little juice and lots of added sugars. Grape and orange sodas don't count as fruit juice.

Meat Group

Why are meat, poultry, fish, and other foods in this group important?

Meat, poultry, and fish supply protein, B vitamins, iron, and zinc. The other foods in this group - dry beans, eggs, and nuts - are similar to meats in providing protein and most vitamins and minerals. The Food Guide Pyramid suggests 2 to 3 servings each day of foods from this group. The total amount of these servings should be the equivalent of 5 to 7 ounces of cooked lean meat, poultry, or fish per day.

What counts as a serving?

Count 2-3 ounces of cooked lean meat, poultry, or fish as a serving. A 3-ounce piece of meat is about the size of an average hamburger, or the amount of meat on a medium chicken breast half.

For other foods in this group, count 1/2 cup of cooked dry beans or 1 egg as 1 ounce of lean meat. 2 tablespoons of peanut butter or 1/3 cup of nuts count as 1 ounce of meat (about 1/3 serving).

Counting to see if you have an equivalent of 5-7 ounces of cooked lean meat a day is tricky. Portions sizes vary with the type of food and meal. For example, 6 ounces might come from:

1 egg (count as 1 oz. of lean meat) for breakfast;
2 oz. of sliced turkey in a sandwich at lunch; and
3 oz. cooked lean hamburger for dinner.

Here are some selection tips:
  • Choose lean meat, poultry without skin, fish, and dry beans and peas often. They are the choices lowest in fat.
  • Prepare meats in lowfat ways:
    Trim away all the fat you can see.
    Broil, roast, or boil these foods, instead of frying them.
  • Go easy of egg yolk; they are high in cholesterol. Use only one yolk per person in egg dishes. Make larger portions by adding extra egg whites.
  • Nuts and seeds are high in fat, so eat them in moderation.
Lean
Choices


BEEF

Roasts/Steaks:
Round
Loin
Sirloin
Chuck Arm


PORK

Roasts/Chops:
Tenderloin
Center Loin
Ham


VEAL

All cuts except ground

LAMB

Roasts/Chops:
Leg
Loin
Fore Shanks


CHICKEN & TURKEY

Light & dark meat, without the skin

FISH & SHELLFISH
Most are low in fat; those marinated or canned in oil are higher
Be Aware of Where Your Food is Coming From...

The Shedd Aquarium of Chicago warns its visitors that, while the fish group is an essential part of a person's nutrition, it is important to be aware of the conditions under which the fish you eat was caught.

Best Choices: These are your best seafood choices! These fish are abundant, well managed and caught or farmed in environmentally friendly ways. This group includes the following fish:

- Catfish (farmed)

- Caviar (farmed)

- Clams (farmed)

- Crab: Dungeness

- Crab: Snow (Canada)

- Crab: Stone

- Halibut: Pacific

- Lobster: Spiny/Rock (US, Australia)

- Mussels (farmed)

- Oysters (farmed)

- Salmon (wild-caught from Alaska)

- Salmon (canned)

- Sardines

- Shrimp/Prawns (trap-caught)

- Striped Bass (farmed)

- Sturgeon (farmed)

- Tilapia (US farmed)

- Trout: Rainbow (farmed)

- Tuna: Albacore (troll/pole caught)

- Tuna: Bigeye (troll/pole caught)

- Tuna: Yellowfin (troll/pole caught)

Proceed With Caution: These are good choices, but there are some concerns with the way they are caught or farmed. They are, however, better choices than items in the Avoid column. This group includes the following fish:

- Clams (wild-caught)

- Cod: Pacific

- Crab: Blue

- Crab: Imitation/Surimi

- Crab: King (Alaska)

- Crab: Snow (US)

- Flounder: Summer/Fluke

- Lobster: American/Maine

- Mahimahi/Dolphinfish/Dorado

- Oysters (wild-caught)

- Pollock

- Scallops: Bay

- Scallops: Sea

- Shrimp (US farmed or US wild-caught)

- Soles (Pacific)

- Squid

- Swordfish (US)

- Tuna: Albacore (longline-caught)

- Tuna: Bigeye (longline-caught)

- Tuna: Yellowfin (longline-caught)

- Tuna (canned)

Avoid: Avoid these products, at least for now. These fish come from sources that are overfished or caught or farmed in ways that harm other marine life or the environment. This group includes the following fish:

- Caviar (wild-caught)

- Chilean Sea Bass/Toothfish

- Cod: Atlantic/Icelandic

- Crab: King (imported)

- Flounders: (Atlantic) except Summer Flounder

- Groupers

- Halibut: Atlantic

- Monkfish

- Orange Roughy

- Rockfish/Rock Cod (Pacific)

- Salmon (farmed/Atlantic)

- Sharks

- Shrimp (imported)

- Snapper: Red

- Soles (Atlantic)

- Sturgeon (wild-caught)

- Swordfish (imported)

- Tuna: Bluefin

* Some information provided by the Shedd Aquarium, Chicago, IL

Milk Group

Why are milk products important?

Milk products provide protein, vitamins, and minerals. Milk, yogurt, and cheese are the best source of calcium. The Food Guide Pyramid suggests 2 to 3 servings of milk, yogurt, and cheese a day - 2 for most people, and 3 for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, teenagers, and young adults to age 24.

What counts as a serving?

1 cup of milk or yogurt
1-1/2 ounces of natural cheese
2 ounces of process cheese

Here are some selection tips:
  • Choose skim milk and nonfat yogurt often. They are lowest in fat.
  • 1-1/2 to 2 ounces of cheese and 8 ounces of yogurt count as a serving from this group because they supply the same amount of calcium as 1 cup of milk.
  • Cottage cheese is lower in calcium than most cheeses. One cup of cottage cheese counts as only 1/2 serving of milk.
  • Go easy on high fat cheese and ice cream. They can add a lot of fat (especially saturated fat) to your diet.
  • Choose "part skim" or low fat cheeses when available and lower fat milk desserts, like ice milk or frozen yogurt.

The Pyramid Food Choices Chart

The following chart lists commonly used foods in each food group and the amount of fat in each. Only a few of the thousands of foods we eat are listed. However, they will give you an idea of foods from each food group that are higher and lower in fat.

The Food Guide Pyramid symbol (») next to the food items means that food is one of the lowest fat choices you can make in that food group.

You can use the food label to count fat in specific foods. Many labels on food lists the grams of fat in a serving.

How much is a gram of fat?

To help you visualize how much fat is in these foods, keep in mind that 1 teaspoon (1 pat) of butter has 4 grams of fat.

For this amount of food... count this many...
Bread, Cereal, Rice, and Pasta Group
Eat 6 to 11 servings daily Servings Grams of Fat
»Bread, 1 slice 1 1
»Hamburger roll, bagel, english muffin, 1 2 2
  Tortilla, 1 1 3
»Rice, pasta, cooked, 1/2 cup 1 Trace
  Plain crackers, small, 3-4 1 3
  Breakfast cereal, 1 oz. 1 *
  Pancakes, 4" diameter, 2 2 3
  Croissant, 1 large (2 oz.) 2 12
  Doughnut, 1 medium (2 oz.) 2 11
  Danish, 1 medium (2 oz.) 2 13
  Cake, frosted, 1/16 average 1 13
  Cookies, 2 medium 1 4
  Pie, fruit, 2-crust, 1/6 8" pie 2 19
* Check product label

For this amount of food... count this many...
Vegetable Group
Eat 3 to 5 servings daily Servings Grams of Fat
»Vegetables, cooked 1/2 cup 1 Trace
»Vegetables, leafy, raw 1 cup 1 Trace
»Vegetables, nonleafy, raw, chopped 1/2 cup 1 Trace
  Potatoes, scalloped, 1/2 cup 1 4
  Potato salad, 1/2 cup 1 8
  French fries, 10 1 8
 
Fruit Group
Eat 2 to 4 servings daily Servings Grams of Fat
»Whole fruit: medium apple, orange, banana 1 Trace
»Fruit, raw or canned, 1/2 cup 1 Trace
»Fruit juice, unsweetened, 3/4 cup 1 Trace
  Avocado, 1/4 whole 1 9
 
Milk, Yogurt, and Cheese Group
Eat 2 to 3 servings daily
»Skim milk, 1 cup 1 Trace
»Nonfat yogurt, plain, 8 oz. 1 Trace
  Lowfat milk, 2 percent, 1 cup 1 5
  Whole milk, 1 cup 1 8
  Chocolate milk, 2 percent, 1 cup 1 5
  Lowfat yogurt, plain, 8 oz. 1 4
  Lowfat yogurt, fruit, 8 oz. 1 3
  Natural cheddar cheese, 1-1/2 oz. 1 14
  Process cheese, 2 oz. 1 18
  Mozzarella, part skim, 1/2 cup 1 7
  Ricotta, part skim, 1/2 cup 1 10
  Cottage cheese, 4 percent fat, 1/2 cup 1/4 5
  Ice cream, 1/2 cup 1/3 7
  Ice milk, 1/2 cup 1/3 3
  Frozen yogurt, 1/2 cup 1/2 2
For this amount of food... count this many...
Meat, Poultry, Fish, Dry Beans, Eggs, and Nuts Group
Eat 5 to 7 oz. daily Servings Grams of Fat
»Lean meat, poultry, fish, cooked 3 oz. 6
  Ground beef, lean, cooked 3 oz. 16
  Chicken, with skin, fried 3 oz. 13
  Bologna, 2 slices 1 oz. 16
  Egg, 1 1 oz. 5
»Dry beans and peas, cooked, 1/2 cup 1 oz. Trace
  Peanut butter, 2 tbsp. 1 oz. 16
  Nuts, 1/3 cup 1 oz. 22
 
Fats, Oil, and Sweets
Use sparingly
Butter, margarine, 1 tsp. - 4
Mayonnaise, 1 tbsp. - 11
Salad dressing, 1 tbsp. - 7
Reduced calorie salad dressing, 1 tbsp. - *
Sour cream, 2 tbsp. - 6
Cream cheese, 1 oz. - 10
Sugar, jam, jelly, 1 tsp. - 0
Cola, 12 fl. oz. - 0
Fruit drink, ade, 12 fl. oz. - 0
Chocolate bar, 1 oz. - 9
Sherbet, 1/2 cup - 2
Fruit sorbet, 1/2 cup - 0
Gelatin dessert, 1/2 cup - 0
What about alcoholic beverages?
If adults choose to drink, they should have no more that 1 to 2 drinks a day. Alcoholic beverages provide calories, but little or no nutrients. These standard-size drinks each provide about the same amount of alcohol.
Alcoholic Beverages
  Calories
Beer, 12 fl. oz. (1 regular can) 150
Wine, dry, 5 fl. oz. 100
Liquor, 1-1/2 oz. * 100
* A mixer such as a soft drink will add more calories.

How to Rate Your Diet

You may want to rate you diet for a few days. Follow these four steps.

Step 1.

Jot down everything you ate yesterday for meals and snacks. Grams of Fat
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Total

 

Step 2.

Write down the number of grams of fat in each food you list.
» Use the Pyramid Food Choices Chart to get an idea of the number of grams of fat to count for the foods you ate.

»Use nutrition labels on packaged foods you ate to find out the grams of fat they contained.

Step 3.

Answer these questions:
» Did you have the number of servings from the five major food groups that are right for you? (See previous chart to determine the number of servings that are right for you.)

  Circle the Servings right for You Servings You Had
Grain Group Servings 6 7 8 9 10 11  
Vegetable Group Servings 3 4 5  
Fruit Group Servings 2 3 4  
Milk Group Servings 2 3  
Meat Group (ounces) 5 6 7  



How did you do? Not enough? About right?

»Add up your grams of fat listed in Step 2. Did you have more fat than the amount right for you?

  Grams Right for You Grams You Had
Fat 53 73 93  

How did you do? Too much? About right?
»Do you need to watch the amount of added sugars you eat? See the previous chart to estimate the number of teaspoons of added sugars in your food choices.

  Teaspoons Right for You Teaspoons You Had
Sugars 6 12 18  

How did you do? Too much? About right?

Step 4.

Decide what changes you can make for a healthier diet. Start by making small changes, like switching to lowfat salad dressings or adding an extra serving of vegetables. Make additional changes gradually until healthy eating becomes a

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